TRICK OR TREAT—GOBBLE, GOBBLE!
Many of us are gearing up to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving—two quintessentially American holidays which revolve largely around food! What better time to put
our values into action and purchase treats, produce, and turkeys that help promote a
more just, humane, and sustainable world.
HALLOWEEN: How about giving out some fair-trade chocolate this
year? Doing so will ensure that the farmers who grew the cocoa receive fair
wages, and fair-trade chocolate is melt-in-your-mouth delicious—YUM!
There are lots of organic options with kid-appeal out there, too. And healthier foods like
little bags of pretzels or popcorn might be a nice change of pace for some children.
Check out your local grocery stores for healthy options, shop at Ten Thousand Villages
for fair trade mini chocolates, or visit Green Halloween for other ideas.
THANKSGIVING: This year, think about getting your yams, potatoes,
and pumpkins from a winter farmers‘ market nearby. (Check out the Maryland Farmers‘ Market Directory for a listing.) They‘ll be grown closer to
home, giving you fresher food, while also supporting local farmers.
Also, order a pastured or free-range turkey as these have had plenty of space to move
around and/or lots of time outside. A heritage turkey is also a great option. (Picture the
kind the pilgrims ate! These are being raised by farmers who keep old breeds alive in
order to promote genetic diversity). Some helpful websites to find these wonderful birds
are: Local Harvest, Eat Well Guide, and the Amazing Grazing Directory (search for
―turkey‖).
And have a Happy Halloween and a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
FOOD OF THE SEASON
Brussels sprouts are closely related to cabbage and broccoli. That‘s why they look like perfect miniature cabbages (so cute!). First mentioned in the 16th century,
they are thought to be native to Belgium, specifically to a region near its capital, Brussels. They remained a local crop in this area until their use spread across Europe during
World War I and later into the U.S.
In season from September to January these sprouts require cool
weather, even a frost, to mature. They grow on a thick stalk with the
lowest buds maturing first and are typically sage green, but some
have a reddish hue. Sprouts are a good source of Vitamins A and C,
folate, potassium, and iron. Of course, Brussels sprouts have a bad
reputation, but that‘s only because no one knows how to cook them!
Done right, they are nutritious AND delicious – check out our recipe on Page 2.
Source: Whole Foods and Chef 2 Chef Culinary Portal
FALL 2011
Volume 4, Issue 4
BFFP’s mission:
To partner with Baltimore area
faith communities and religious
organizations of all faith traditions
to promote a just, safe, and trustworthy food system that allows us
to produce what is needed now and
for future generations in a way that
protects people, animals, air, land,
and water.
CONGRATS
GARDENERS!!!
It‘s official! There are enough
faith community and religious
school gardens in and around Baltimore for us to say we have a real
movement under way! This year
the BFFP received an unprecedented number of applications
from dedicated, creative, and inspired congregations and schools
with visions to create gardens to
help better our collective food environment. Thus far, the following
have received Garden Grants:
Ascension Evangelical Lutheran
Beth El Congregation & Preschool
Brown Memorial Woodbrook
Cardinal Shehan School
Friends School
Govans Presbyterian
Hunt Valley Church
Hunting Ridge Presbyterian
Jewish Community Center of
Greater Baltimore’s Early Childhood Department
Netivot Shalom
St. Ambrose Catholic School
St. James’ Episcopal, Parkton
St. Matthew United Methodist
This makes 20 gardens in the
Food & Faith family. We are
so proud. Congratulations to all!!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts!
Adapted from Food.com
Forget the bland, boiled sprouts of your childhood, try roasting them instead. These are perfect for a
chilly November evening—they just taste like fall somehow! When shopping, look for small,
tightly closed sprouts of similar size. These will cook faster and be sweeter, too.
Photo from We Heart Food
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Toss with olive oil, salt,
and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once. Sprouts should be slightly
brown and cooked through, so that they are tender when pierced with a knife. Top them with a bit of cheese, sliced almonds or
pecans, balsamic vinegar, or just a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like. Serves four.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Episcopal Community Services of Maryland
1014 West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211
Nancy Fenton, Deputy Director
A community kitchen in East Baltimore! What a wonderful idea! Last year, we headed over to
Collington Square to meet with the good folks there who have big plans to create a much needed
cooking space in a neighborhood where they have been working for years. Nancy Fenton shares with the Good Food Digest
how this kitchen will be a gathering place that will enable people to learn job skills, share cooking tasks, and grow friendships:
‗"Handling living food is so inspiring and energizing it makes you want to cook. You will never get tired of washing lettuce if
it is beautiful to look at.‖ Alice Waters, author of The Edible Schoolyard.
The opportunity to build a community teaching kitchen embraces our vision of a healthier community created by job training,
access to healthy foods, and sufficient amounts of food for families. The path to the development of a community teaching
kitchen is based upon our years of experience working with people living in Baltimore City. ECSM is very familiar with the
food challenges of low-income people. We rely upon a variety of funding sources to address the food and hunger needs of our
client populations including the Child and Adult Nutrition program, SNAP, the Maryland Emergency Food Program, and
Emergency Food and Shelter Program. These sources are used to supplement private funds and in-kind contributions to support the food needs of program participants and their families.
Episcopal Community Services of Maryland (ECSM) is a Baltimore-based non-profit organization focused on working in the
East Baltimore area, one of the city‘s most impoverished neighborhoods. Our work emphasizes education, workforce development, and wellness. We operate three programs: The Ark Preschool for homeless children, The Club at Collington Square, an
after-school and summer camp program, and Jericho, a reentry program for adult ex-offenders.
In 2010, the Maryland legislature awarded a matching state bond bill to build the Collington Square Community Teaching
Kitchen. Private donors have also contributed to the kitchen. This project was driven by community needs that were identified
over a long period of time including lack of job training and high unemployment, limited grocery stores within walking distance, unhealthy diets among youth and adults, limited knowledge about cooking and meal preparation. We sought the input
and support of community residents and other nonprofits for the construction of the community teaching kitchen. With strong
neighborhood support, the Maryland legislature approved the bond bill, noting its contribution to the improving the quality of
life for community residents.
We are looking forward to the construction of the community kitchen in June 2012! We plan to offer the following programs:
Job training for adults enrolled in the Jericho reentry program.
Healthy food and wellness education for the student and family members of The Club after-school program.
Expansion of a modest food pantry with an emphasis on healthful foods.
Healthy food planning & preparation for women enrolled in Dayspring, a recovery program in Collington Square.
We hope Alice Waters‘ love of good food is spread through the programs at the community teaching kitchen. We are seeking
partners to help provide fresh foods, support the food pantry, and share their knowledge and enthusiasm for preparing healthful
foods.‘
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Blessed be the Creator
and all creative hands
which plant and harvest,
pack and haul and hand
over sustenance –
Blessed be carrot and cow,
potato and mushroom,
tomato and bean,
parsley and peas,
onion and thyme,
garlic and bay leaf,
pepper and water,
majoram and oil,
and blessed be fire
and blessed be the enjoyment
of nose and eye,
and blessed be color and blessed be the Creator
for the miracle of red potato,
for the miracle of green bean,
for the miracle of fawn mushrooms,
and blessed be God
for the miracle of earth:
ancestors, grass, bird,
deer and all gone,
wild creatures
whose bodies become
carrots, peas, and wild
flowers, who
give sustenance
to human hands, whose
agile dance of music
nourishes the ear
and soul of the dog
resting under the stove
and the woman working over
the stove and the geese
out the open window
strolling in the backyard.
And blessed be God
for all, all, all.
- Alla Renee Bozarth
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Wednesday, 11/2/11 at 8 PM
Food Writer Joan Nathan Discusses Heritage of Jewish Cuisine
Hyman Forum, Goucher College Athenaeum
1021 Dulaney Valley Road
Towson, MD 21204
Joan Nathan, author of award-winning cookbooks and the host of the
acclaimed PBS series, Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan, will
discuss the foods of the Jews of France as the nexus of Jewish gastronomy.
Ms. Nathan has written 10 cookbooks, including six about Jewish cooking
and two on Israeli cuisine. She says her goal is to preserve Jewish traditions
by interviewing cooks and documenting their recipes for posterity. A book
signing will follow. FREE.
For more info, visit Goucher College. To
register, visit www.goucher.edu/tickets or
call (410) 337-6333.
Now through 9/30/12
The Jewish Museum of Maryland at the
Herbert Bearman Campus
15 Lloyd Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
For more info, visit the Jewish Museum of
Maryland
Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture and American Jewish Identity
Mention ―Jewish food‖ and we all smile knowingly. For many, the phrase
summons thoughts of home and tradition. But food is also the topic of
frequent dispute among Jews. Clearly, Jewish food is about more than matzoh
balls.
The exhibit, Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture and American Jewish Identity, examines the diversity of Jewish eating and uncovers the messages in our
meals. It shows how the foods we choose to eat speak volumes about who we
are. JMM members: FREE; Adults $8; Students $4; Children under 12: $3
The Food in Your Future
Sunday, 11/20/11 from 2 PM to 4:30 PM
Earth Forum of Howard County
First Presbyterian Church of Howard County
9325 Presbyterian Circle
Columbia, MD 21045
For more info, visit Earth Forum of Howard
County
What role does local food play in our increasingly global food system and in
our future? Amanda Behrens of the Center for a Livable Future will explain
Maryland‘s food system in its larger context, and describe both barriers and
opportunities for expanding local food production and sales. She will also
introduce the details of bringing the food mapping project to Howard County.
Gordon Clark, Director of Montgomery Victory Gardens, will explain why
and how he has worked to bring the experience of growing and eating fresh,
healthy local foods to Montgomery County school children, and what steps in
producing food are needed to develop sustainable agriculture and growing
food to feed for these children – and us.
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